About the Iosco County Clerk's Office
Nancy J. Huebel serves as the Iosco County Clerk. The county clerk is an elected office, and the same official also serves as clerk of the circuit court. That dual role means the office keeps both county civil records and the case index for the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court. Court file copies, certified judgments, and register of actions requests route through this desk. For a small county, it is a busy office that touches many kinds of records.
The Iosco County Clerk's Office works as the county's records gateway for far more than elections. Staff handle marriage licenses, vital records, business name filings, notary registration, concealed pistol licenses, passports, and military discharge records. The office also processes public records requests under state law. It separates records you can search from copies you can order, which keeps index lookups apart from certified documents. For active case questions and hearing dates, the office points people back to the court divisions that own those files.
Iosco County Clerk's Office
Clerk: Nancy J. Huebel
422 W. Lake St.
PO Box 838
Tawas City, MI 48764-0838
(989) 362-3497
Fax: (989) 984-1012
countyclerk@ioscocounty.org
Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm (closed for lunch 12:30-1:30pm)
What the Iosco County Clerk Handles
The clerk's duties reach across county government and the courts. As clerk of the circuit court, the office files pleadings, maintains the case index, and issues certified copies of court judgments. As county clerk, it keeps the civil records residents need for daily life. The range is wide, so it helps to know which desk owns a record before you call. Some tasks are done at the counter. Others start on a county web portal.
- Court records and certified copies as clerk of the circuit court
- Marriage license applications and certified marriage certificates
- Death records and business name (DBA) filings
- Notary public registration and notary searches
- Concealed pistol licenses, passports, and military discharge records
- Public records requests, vital records, and election administration
Active case files, hearing dates, and dockets stay with the Iosco County Circuit Court, which shares this same clerk office. That split keeps case management with the court while the clerk handles copies, indexes, and civil filings.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves a document is a true copy of the county record. Courts, employers, and government agencies often require a certified copy rather than a plain printout. Marriage certificates, death records, and court judgments are the most common certified requests. The county offers three ways to order: online, in person, or by mail.
Certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce records can be ordered through Official Records Online, the county's web copy service.
The portal accepts major credit cards and adds a convenience fee to each certified order. It is the fastest route when you do not need to visit the office in person.
- Identify the record. Have the full name, the event date, and a case number for any court file.
- Choose your channel. Use the online copy portal, the front counter, or a mailed request form.
- Complete the form and pay the fee. Pay by card online, or send a check or money order with a mailed request.
- Receive the copy. Pick it up in person, or wait for delivery in a self addressed stamped envelope you provide.
Note: mailed payments must be a money order, a certified check, or a check drawn on an Iosco County bank, and cash should never be sent through the mail.
Iosco County Records Request Form Fields
Records that are not posted online can be obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Iosco County publishes a 2026 FOIA summary plus office specific forms, including a dedicated county clerk request form. The clerk form is detailed, and filling every field in correctly speeds the response. Vague requests slow the office down and can trigger a fee estimate before any copy is made.
Michigan sets the county's response clock by statute, spelled out in MCL 15.235, the state's FOIA response rule.
The county answers a FOIA request within five business days, and the clerk can extend that window with the requester's written consent when a search takes longer. The clerk request form captures every detail below.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Request number | No | Assigned by the clerk when the request is logged |
| Date received and receipt method | Yes | Email, fax, or other electronic method, plus any junk or spam folder date |
| Request type | Yes | Copy, certified copy, record inspection, or subscription |
| Delivery method | Yes | Pickup, onsite copies, mail, email, or digital media |
| Record description | Yes | Describe the record as specifically as possible |
| Extension consent | No | Agree to extend the five business day response to a set date |
| Requester identity | Yes | Name, firm, street, city, state, zip, phone, fax, and email |
| Overtime and discount blocks | No | Overtime labor consent plus indigence or nonprofit fee discount |
Iosco County Clerk Fees
Fees at the Iosco County Clerk's Office depend on the record and the service. The county sets specific dollar amounts for some copies, and Michigan statute governs FOIA copy charges. A few fees are published plainly, while others are quoted at the counter based on the record type and page count. Vital record copy orders through the county portal also add a convenience fee.
Michigan caps FOIA search and copy charges under MCL 15.234, the state's FOIA fee statute.
The same statute lets the county waive the first $20 of fees for a qualifying indigent requester or a designated nonprofit. That waiver can make a small request free.
Important: a plain printout is not a certified copy. Courts and agencies that require proof of record will only accept a copy that carries the clerk's seal.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, 3-day wait waived | $25 additional |
| Out-of-state marriage application (online) | $30 |
| Certified copy of a vital or court record | Set by the clerk / Michigan statute |
| Plain, non-certified copy | Set by the clerk / Michigan statute |
| FOIA copies and search time | Per MCL 15.234; first $20 free for qualifying requests |
| Online copy order convenience fee | Added by the county copy portal |
Search and Copy Portals for Iosco County Records
Iosco County routes several record searches through vendor portals. The clerk keeps search access apart from copy ordering, so index lookups and certified copies use different tools. Two portals cover most public needs, and both open in a browser without an office visit. The clerk page ties the whole service menu together.
- FIDlar vital and records search for DBA, death, marriage, and notary index searches
- Official Records Online for certified copy orders of birth, death, marriage, and divorce records
- Iosco County Clerk page for service categories, contact data, and current links
Marriage and divorce copies fall under the county's marriage and divorce records workflow, which uses the same vital records portal. A divorce record may show as a vital record copy while the full case file still lives with the circuit court. Keeping those two routes straight avoids a dead end when an online form was never meant to hold the record you want.
Mail, Online, and In-Person Requests to the Iosco County Clerk
Requests to the Iosco County Clerk's Office move through three channels. Online orders run through the county copy portals and clear fastest for standard vital records. In person requests are handled at the front counter, and a certified vital record can take up to an hour to prepare. Mail requests need the completed form, payment, and a self addressed stamped envelope so the copy can be returned.
Payment rules matter for mail. The county accepts a check drawn on an Iosco County bank, a certified check, or a money order, and cash should never be mailed. For court case files, requests for certified judgments and copies go through the circuit court clerk function of the same office. Marriage, birth, and death copies fall under the vital records workflow instead.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm and closes for lunch from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, so time an in person visit around that break. When a record is not public online, the county's FOIA process is the correct fallback, and the office holds to the five business day response rule set in state law.
Does the Iosco County Clerk hold every court file? The clerk holds the circuit court case index and issues certified copies of court judgments. Active dockets, hearing dates, and full case management stay with the court divisions. For a district or probate matter, the record may sit with that court rather than the county clerk desk.
Can a FOIA fee be reduced? Yes. A qualifying indigent requester or a designated nonprofit can have the first $20 of fees waived. If a request is denied or the fee estimate seems too high, the county publishes separate clerk appeal forms for both situations.